


long-term pain relief

by mikharlow



Category: HELIOS Rising Heroes (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Non-Sexual Intimacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:53:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27421516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikharlow/pseuds/mikharlow
Summary: from the prompt: "Dino gives Brad a massage after work".[Contains spoilers for chapter 5 of the main story]
Relationships: Brad Beams/Dino Albani
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	long-term pain relief

**Author's Note:**

> hello caz this is for you specifically

The first thing that Brad did upon entering the Red South shared living room was let out a heavy sigh. There was a strain across his shoulders that no doubt came from the hours he spent that evening at a desk, and his feet ached from running between different rooms and buildings, sitting in meetings and more busywork than he could remember. Such was the life of a mentor-leader, he supposed.

He slipped off his shoes as the door clicked shut behind him, and glanced around the room. The lights were dim, and through the wide glass windows he could see the pinpricks of light scattered across the city like stars. His eyes catch on the coffee table where several empty pizza boxes sit abandoned. It seemed like everyone had already eaten and gone back to their rooms. That was better for Brad, who didn’t at all feel like conversation. After shutting the lights off, he made to head back to his room, but he froze after hearing a noise from within. 

_ Odd.  _ Nobody should have access to his room other than Oscar and himself. Preparing for the worst, he turned the handle, and pushed the door open. As soon as it opened, however, it swung back closed, shutting Brad outside. Now he was irritated.  _ Some prankster it must be _ . “Oi. Who is that in there?” he said, sternly.

There was a pause, followed by a stifled laugh. “Guess who~?” called a voice, muffed behind the door. 

Brad sighed, having immediately identified who it was. “Dino, open the door.” 

The door swung inward, and a familiar face poked around the side of the frame and into view. Dino grinned, laughing. “Welcome home, darling~” he greeted him, bowing dramatically.

Brad huffed in annoyance, but was unable to actually get mad at Dino’s antics. “Mhm, I’m home.” Dino let him inside, closing the door behind him.

“Is there any reason in particular why you’re in my room?” he asked.

“Oh, you know, just thought I’d pop in?” Dino hummed. He sat with a flop on Brad’s bed, and watched him as he unbuttoned his waistcoat and slipped it off, folding it and laying it neatly on his stool. “I wanted to catch up a little with Oscar. It’s been a while since I got to talk to him, you know? I also brought some sweets along for Will-kun. And I ordered food for everyone too!”

Brad thought back to the empty pizza boxes on the table. “I should’ve known it was you.” He took off his gloves and lay them on his desk, glancing over his shoulder at Dino. “Why are you still here, though? I would’ve thought you’d left by now.”

“What, and miss seeing you?” Dino replied. “Oscar let me in here, by the way.”

“I see.” said Brad. “Where is he, actually?”

“He went back to the gym for some night training.”

That sounded about right. Brad reached down to open a drawer, but the ache of his back squeezed an involuntary wince out of him. Seeing this, Dino frowned, leaning forwards. “You alright, Brad?” he asked. 

“I’m fine.” he said, attempting to wave off concern. “I’m just a little stiff from work today. I’ll be better after some rest.”

Dino’s eyebrows narrowed. “Brad, you better not be overworking yourself.”

“I’m not. I just like to be busy.” 

“Nope, not having it.” Before Brad could ask, Dino had hopped off his bed and taken his arm, tugging him upright to face him. “Let me help you out a little.”

To Brad’s surprise, Dino’s hands went to the tie around his neck, and he began to loosen it slowly. “Dino, I can manage that myself--”

Dino made a noise and cut him off, holding up a finger to silence him. “No, you’re going to let me help you.” He pulled one end of the tie and it slid from around his neck gracefully. “I promise you’ll feel  _ much  _ better after this.”

“What are you…?” Brad began, but stopped short when Dino started unbuttoning his shirt, becoming instantly flustered. “-- _ Dino!! _ ”

Dino laughed at how embarrassed Brad had become. “Wait, I promise it’s not what you think, just trust me.”

Still uncertain about his motives, Brad let Dino continue. He unbuttoned his shirt all the way, then pushed the fabric off his shoulders, letting it fall to his elbows. Dino rested his hands against Brad’s chest, smiling up at him playfully. “You can take off the rest, to your comfort level ♪.” he said, running a thumb across one of his collarbones.

Brad raised an eyebrow, but tugged off the rest of his shirt as instructed. “Does that include pants?” 

Dino took his hand and led over to the bed. “Only if you want it to!”

“Can’t you just tell me what you’re planning to do?” he sighed.

“Nope. It’s a surprise. Now lie down on your front.” Dino instructed him.

No longer caring enough to ask, Brad complied. He folded his arms in front of him, and shortly after felt Dino sit down on the bed beside him. He ran a hand across Brad’s back absently; Brad attempted to keep a neutral expression at that. 

“Okay, where are you tense?”

“Tense?” said Brad. “Dino, are you… trying to give me a massage?”

Dino grinned. “Doesn’t that sound nice?”

“It depends if you’re any good at it or not.” Brad deadpanned, and smiled at the little frown Dino gave him. “Why did this require me to take off my shirt?”

“It’s more  _ efficient _ that way.” he replied, and Brad could tell when he was being made fun of. “I don’t have any fancy oil or anything, so this’ll have to do.”

“What will?” He couldn’t see what Dino was doing, but he felt a sudden cold on his back, and had to suppress a shiver. “What  _ is  _ that.” 

A laugh. “It’s just moisturiser. Now, tell me where it feels nice.”

Brad hadn’t been subjected to many massages before, but as Dino worked onto his back and shoulders, he had a hard time finding any complaints. He was good with his hands, and whenever Brad said, he would work on a certain spot for a while, until Brad felt the tension ease away little by little. He could’ve fallen asleep there, with Dino taking care of him like that. As much as he would later deny it, he truly was putty in Dino’s hands.

“You look like you’re enjoying yourself.” Dino hummed. 

Brad struggled to open his eyes. When had they closed? “Do I?” 

Dino nodded. “You were smiling.” 

_ I was? _ “...I didn’t realise.”

Dino’s voice was as tender as his hands. “It’s not a bad look on you, you know. I love it, actually.”

_ Ah _ . He wasn’t sure what to say to that. “...I’ll keep that in mind.”

After a few minutes, Dino removed his hands. Brad cracked an eye open again in confusion. “Done already?”

Dino stood up from the bed, and wiped his hands on his pants. “It’s been half an hour, my poor arms are gonna melt.”

“Has it really?” Brad asked, more than a little shocked. His eyes felt heavy still.

“Are you surprised?” Dino loosened his tie, tugging it off and tossing it to the floor. “You really passed out a couple minutes in there. Aren’t I amazing?”

Brad watched, stunned, as Dino started to just… get undressed in front of him. “...More importantly, why are you…”

“Hm?” Dino stopped as he reached for his belt. “Oh, I was just gonna stay the night. You’re fine with that, right?”

He continued to strip, not even waiting for Brad’s confirmation. “I get the feeling you’re going to stay no matter what.” 

“Yeah. Hey, can I borrow a shirt? I’m fine without pants.”

Brad sighed, but once again, he couldn’t find any real irritation within him. “...There’s some in the left drawer.”

“Thanks ♪”

Brad rolled over onto his back, propping himself up on his elbows as he watched Dino fish out a simple shirt of his and slip it over his head. Dino plopped down next to Brad again, this time on the other side of the bed, where there was more room. “I might keep this shirt, actually.” he mused, admiring it on himself. 

Brad took in the sight of him, perched on the edge of his bed, mumbling to himself. Wearing Brad’s clothes, sitting close enough to touch. Real. 

Alive. 

His heart swelled with an unnamable emotion, and he found himself speaking. “I think you should. It looks good on you.”

Dino’s head jerked up, and his cheeks flushed a light pink. “...Look at you, flirting.” he chuckled. 

As Dino got comfortable on the bed, sidling up beside him, Brad was in thought.  _ Flirting… I suppose I was _ . It wasn’t as much of a surprise as it should have been, though. Dino had always made him act unlike himself.

“Brad~?” Dino asked. He leaned his head on Brad’s shoulder, and Brad stirred from his thoughts.

“Sorry, just thinking.” 

Dino rested his hand on Brad’s thigh, and Brad covered it with his own as Dino kissed the side of his neck. Brad sighed contentedly, tracing over the back of Dino’s hand with his fingertip. With ease, Brad allowed himself to be lowered back down onto the bed, with Dino’s arm wrapping around his waist as he cuddled close. 

“You worked hard today.” said Dino softly. “I love you.”

Warmth spread throughout Brad’s chest, overwhelmingly so. The man next to him never failed to make him feel completely helpless with emotion. He wanted to tell him just how much he meant to him. How big the hole in his heart had been for the last five years, how his complete absence had rendered parts of Brad wholly unfeeling. How he’d ached to see him again.

He pressed a kiss to the top of Dino’s head, and pulled him closer. Complex words were, perhaps, for another time. “I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> my twitter is @streetsekai, i want more helios mutuals please


End file.
